Red and white checkerboard cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 bar of white chocolate (100 g), chopped
• 220 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 large egg at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 and 3/4 cups of premium flour, plus extra for working with the dough
• 1 teaspoon finely grated blood orange zest
• 1.5 - 2 tsp red gel food coloring
• 1 cup red or white decorative sugar

Preparation:

1. Place the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Let cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and salt with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract, then add the melted white chocolate. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour in two additions. Knead until the dough is smooth.
3. Separate half of the dough; stir orange zest and food coloring into the remaining dough in the bowl. Wrap the regular dough and red dough separately in plastic wrap, form into rectangles, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
4. Working on two separate sheets of floured parchment, roll each piece of dough into a 12x25cm rectangle (about 1cm thick), then trim each piece to make a 11x23cm rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut each rectangle lengthwise into nine 1cm-wide strips. If the dough becomes too soft, refrigerate until firm, then continue.
5. Lay three strips of dough next to each other, alternating colors (white-red-white). Wet the sides and top with a damp finger to ensure the strips adhere tightly. Top with three strips of the opposite color (red-white-red). Top with three more strips, repeating the first pattern. Assemble the second block in the same way, starting with the red-white-red pattern. Wrap the blocks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
6. Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unroll the dough. Lightly brush the dough blocks with water, then press decorative sugar firmly into the edges. Trim the ends of the blocks with a sharp knife, then slice into 0.3-0.5 cm thick slices, approximately 24 cookies per block.
7. Place the cookies on baking sheets, spacing them 4 cm (1.5 in) apart. Bake 2 baking sheets (refrigerate the third one), rotating them halfway through, until the cookies are set but not browned, 12-15 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Bake the remaining cookies in the same manner.